Air conditioned storage system

ABSTRACT

A storage system comprising dual compartments in which materials requiring temperature and humidity control are stored. The double compartments with different locks include a system of inventory control as well as stock rotation. The compartment which is filled first is used first and, when empty, an order for replacement stock is made. Both compartments are controlled to stabilize temperature and humidity by a single control unit which is a separable unit.

United States Patent Inventor Appl. No.

Filed Patented Assignee AIR CONDITIONED STORAGE SYSTEM Murray FriedelNorth Miami Beach, Fla. 887,712

Dec. 23, 1969 June 22, 1971 Visual Graphics Corporation New York, N.Y.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

62/90 62/91, 62/180, 62/428, 62/274 Int. Cl F25b 29/00 Field of Search[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,133,039 10/1938 Phili p2,188,526 1/ 1940 Burden 2,213,421 9/1940 Wagner 2,268,769 l/1942 Newton2,654,232 10/ 1953 Galoui Primary Examiner-William J. WyeAttorney-Albert F. Kronman ABSTRACT: A storage system comprising dualcompartments in which materials requiring temperature and humiditycontrol are stored. The double compartments with different locks includea system of inventory control as well as stock rotation. The compartmentwhich is filled first is used first and, when empty, an order forreplacement stock is made. Both compartments are controlled to stabilizetemperature and humidity by a single control unit which is a separableunit.

PATENTEU JUN22 I971 SHEET 1 BF 3 INVENTOR. MURRAY FRIEDEL BY a PATENTEDJUH22 I971 SHEET 2 OF 3 FIG. 4

FIG. 3

PATENTED JUN22 197i SHEET 3 OF 3 FIG. 5

AIR CONDITIONED STORAGE SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Airconditioning systems and humidity controllers are well known and used inmany applications. In general the control of air temperature isaccomplished in one unit and the humidity control in a separate unit,each having their own air blowers and sensing arrangements. The presentinvention combines both units into a single integral assembly, usingonly one set of blowers and arranging for an automatic humidity controlwithout the usual humidity sensing unit. The result is a system with areduced number of parts, a smaller air control system, greaterefficiency, and a big saving in cost.

One of the features of the invention is a simple humidifier whichcontrols the water in the air. It comprises a water spray delivered to aseries of conduits which are maintained at a definite temperature. Thesaturated air from this space is then moved to a second space where itis heated to a desired temperature and percent humidity.

Another feature of the present invention is the double compartmentsystem of stock control which uses two storage spaces with means forrequiring the use of all the stock in one compartment before the othercompartment is opened. This arrangement also provides an inventorycontrol since a new order for stock can be scheduled each time'acompartment is empty.

Another feature of the present invention is the apparatus which controlsthe final temperature of the air discharged into the compartment.Portions of the conduits containing the compressed refrigerating fluidare moved into the exit air stream, thereby heating the air to thecorrect temperature. The device includes an adjustable wall connected tothe main structure by a bellows.

For a better understanding of the present invention, together with otherdetails and features thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. I is an isometric-view of theentire system, showing the control unit and two storage compartments.FIG. 2 is a top view of the system shown in FIG. 1 with parts brokenaway to show the internal structure of the storage compartments.

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of a simplified form of the controlunit taken along a vertical plane.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view similar to Figure 3 but includingadditional components for controlling the humidity.

FIG. 5 is another cross sectional view of the control unit similar toFigure 4 but showing a series of water sprays directed on the coldconduits.

FIG. 6 is still another cross sectional view of an alternate form of theinvention wherein the water sprays are directed downwardly into a spaceadjacent to the entrance part of the apparatus. A heat exchanger isemployed to give the proper temperature to the spray water.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2,the complete air conditioned storage system includes a doublecompartment 10, l1, and a control unit in an enclosure 12. Eachcompartment has a door 13, I4 for convenient access to store or removematerials, such as photographic film and paper. The control unit 12comprises a vertical oblong metal box having louver boards 15 at anentrance port and a metal wire mesh 16 set in a portion of the topsurface. On the front panel there are two indicating pointers, one 17for showing the desired temperature of the air in the compartments, andthe second 18 for showing the humidity. Both pointers are movable over acalibrated scale which may be marked with appropriate symbols.

The control unit 12 is made with three extensions which fit into holesin the adjoining compartment 10. The upper extension 20, shown in dottedlines in FIG. 2, delivers cooled and dehumidified air to bothcompartments since they are separated only by a metal screen 21. Thesecond extension 22, shown only in FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6, is formed witha metal heat conductive plate 23, adjacent to a portion of the coilcontaining expanded, cold refrigerant. The purpose of this extension isto provide a frozen storage compartment accessible from storage area 10.The third extension 24 also fits into a hole in compartment 10 and is anentrance port for drawing air from both compartments to cool the air andadjust its humidity. The inside walls of the compartments may be linedwith slabs of heat insulating material if desired, or the entirestructure may be made of heat insulating material.

Referring now specifically to FIG. 3, the space within control unit 12is divided into two main enclosures. A duct 25 is provided where air isdrawn in through louvers l5 and forced out through screen 16 by a powerfan 26. During its passage through the duct 25 the air cools a motorizedrefrigerant compressor 27 and a portion of the coils 28 which carry thecompressed and liquidized fluid refrigerant. A second duct 30 isprovided where air is drawn from a refrigerated compartment 10 throughentrance port 24 and expelled through exit port 20 into the samecompartment 10 by means of a power fan 31. During the passage throughduct 30 the air is cooled by a lower set of pipes 32. Just beforeleaving the control unit, the air is circulated near a portion of thehot pipes 28A which carry the compressed fluid. This is done to heat theair to a temperature which is most suitable for the goods or articlesstored in the two compartments l0 and 11. Reheating is generallynecessary because the cooling units 32 and 33 are always below theoptimum temperature required for storage compartments. They are at thislow temperature mainly to condense water vapor from the air and toreduce the humidity.

The motor compressor 27 may be any one of the several types now used inrefrigerator units. It comprises an electric motor directly coupled to acompressor. The refrigerant is drawn from pipes 32 (in gaseous form),compressed by the pump, and then ejected through pipes 28. During thecompression, the temperature of the fluid is greatly increased, aportion of this heat being carried off by the air stream in duct 25. Theelectric motor is connected to an external power supply (not shown) andis turned on or off by a thermal sensing unit 34 which may be a simplebimetallic switch. The motor, compressor, and the switching unit are allwell known in the art and no further detailed description is necessary.The usual expansion valve 35 permits the liquid in the pipes 28 toexpand to a gas in the cold pipes 33 and 32, thereby lowering thetemperature of the pipes and the air which flows through duct 30.

The operation of the control unit shown in FIG. 3 is as follows:Thermostat 34 is adjusted to control the temperature at a reduced value,as for example 35 F. A second thermostat 36 in the exit duct 20 isadjusted to the desired temperature of the compartments l0 and 11. Thistemperature may be 55 F. When the power is turned on, the compressormotor 27 compresses the refrigerant fluid in pipes 28, the fluid (gas)has the heat of compression removed by the air pumped through space 25and then the fluid moves through valve 35 to cool the pipes 33 and 32.Air is circulated through the compartments l0 and 11, entering thecontrol unit by means of extension 24, passing up through the pipeassembly 32 where some condensing moisture may accumulate and drip tostorage tank 37. The air then moves up through pipes 33 and passes overthe condenser pipes 28A where it is heated and finally blown out throughexit duct 20. The first thermostat 34 maintains the temperature of duct30 at a desired cold temperature by turning the compressor motor on oroff. The second thermostat 36 maintains the temperature of the air inthe first compartment 10 at a desired temperature by adjusting a movablebaffie 38 to expose more or less of the hot pipes 28A to the air stream.An accordion pleated diaphragm 38A around the baffle 38 separates thecompartments 25 and 30.

lf it is desired to increase the humidity of the air supplied to thecompartments, the first thermostat is adjusted to provide warmer air tospace 30, thereby condensing less water vapor from the air entering duct24. Then the second thermocouple 36 is adjusted to maintain the bafile38 at a position closer to the ends of the pipes 283A. The temperatureof the air entering the compartment W can be the same under either setof conditions. Conversely, if the humidity of the air is to be lowered,the pipes 32 are lowered in temperature to condense more water and thebafile 38 is arranged to expose a greater length of the hot pipes 2%A sothat the resulting air temperature is the same as before.

it should be noted that the above described control device uses only oneelectric motor, only two thermostat controls and two fans, but noindependent heater units, no movable louvers, and no humidity sensingcontrol means. The unit is selfcontained and occupies a small spaceadjacent to the compartments it cools and conditions. For this unitthere is no water pump and no water spraying jets.

The above described control device is all that is required for mostinstallations. However, there may be times in dry climates where someadditional equipment is required to raise the humidity level. For such arequirement, the control unit shown in FIG. 43 may be used. This controlunit is the same as that shown in H6. 3 except that a water pump 40, runby a motor 4H, and a water tank 42 have been added. The tank 42 drainsinto a fabric mesh 43 where it evaporates to increase the humidity ofthe circulating air. Water is carried from tank 37 to container 42 by aconduit 44 and the water in tank 42 is carried by conduit 45 to thefabric mesh 43. A limit float 46 and switch 47 control the motor 41 sothat the tank 42 cannot be filled above a desired height. Thisadditional equipment insures a desired humidity control even ifcompletely dry air is available in the compartments at the start of anyoperation. The equipment may be deactivated, if not needed, by simplycutting ofi power to the pump motor 41. The presence of this additionalequipment in no way changes the operation or efficiency of the remainderof the apparatus.

The air conditioning system shown in FlG. includes the same componentsas the device shown in FIG. 3. In order to insure that a definitehumidity control is in operation at all times, the pump 44) with itsmotor 41 and a water spray means 43 have been added. Pump 40 isconnected to spray means 48 by conduit 50 and a baffle 51 is added tokeep the fine spray from being carried up into the top portion of space30. Baffle 53 is shown in FIG. 5 as a series of double louvered panels.However, the baffle may assume many other forms, such as a series ofhorizontal spaced fabric sheets each having a coarse, open weave.

The humidity control of the device shown in FIG. 5 is quite accuratebecause the water jets from conduit 48 are spread over a wide area andall the water drops come in direct contact with one or more of the pipes32. This arrangement provides an atmosphere of 100 percent humidity atthe temperature of the pipes which may be adjusted over a wide range ofvalues by a setting of the first thermostat 34. If the pipe 32temperature is 20 F the air contains 2.832 grams per cubic meter, awater content representing 100 percent humidity. If, now the air isheated by pipes 28A to a temperature of 50 F., the air could contain amaximum of 9.33 grams per cubic meter. But, since no water is addedduring the heating, the result is a humidity of 30.35 percent. If thepipe 34 temperature is raised to 32 F., the air contains 4.835 grams ofwater per cubic meter of air, again representing 100 percent humidity.When raised to the exit temperature of 50 F., the result is 49.7 percentrelative humidity.

The control system shown in FIG. 6 is similar so that of FIG. 5 intheory of operation. However, the temperature of the spray jets fromconduits 48A is controlled before emerging from the nozzles instead ofafierward. In FIG. 5 the temperature of the water supplied by pump 44)has little effect because it is conditioned by the pipes 32. In FIG. 6the water from pump 40 is sent through conduit 50 to a heat exchanger 52which also contains the cold fluid from pipes 33, flowing back to thecompressor 27. The heat exchanger 52 cools the water from reservoir 37to a desired temperature and then this water is sprayed into space 30 tocool and humidify the air from entrance duct 24. Again, percent humidityresults but at the temperature of the spray water. When heated by pipes23A, the temperature is raised to a predetermined amount and thehumidity is reduced. An additional set of louver slats 53 is added tothe entrance duct to keep the spray mist from moving into thecompartment 10. All the other components are the same as the system ofFIG. 5 except that the automatic adjustment of the baffle 38 has beenreplaced by a manually operated lever 54. Either the manual or automaticcontrol may be used.

it is apparent from the above description that system has been inventedfor controlling the air in a compartment. Humidity is controlled withoutthe use of a humidity sensing means and the system uses only a smallnumber of components.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new anddesired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

l. An air conditioned storage system comprising: two storagecompartments each with a separate closure means, said compartmentsseparated by an air permeable but article retaining wall; saidcompartments connected to a container for housing the compartments of arefrigeration system and including a first air duct in the container forhousing hot portions of the refrigeration means, a first fan for forcingair through the first duct to cool the hot portions, a second air ductin the container for housing cold portions of the refrigeration meanstogether with parts of the hot portions, a second fan for forcing airthrough the second duct to lower the air temperature; said hot portionsof the refrigeration means including a motor-compressor for compressinga refrigerant fluid, and a series of hot pipes for receiving thecompressed fluid; the cold portions of the refrigeration means includinga series of cold pipes and an expansion valve connected between the hotpipes and the cold pipes; a first thermostat in the second duct forcontrolling the action of the motor-compressor; a movable baffle forminga part of a wall between the first and second air ducts and having holestherein for enclosing lengths of said hot pipes; and a second thermostatin an exit portion of the second duct for varying the position of thebaffle to expose variable lengths of the hot pipes to the air passingthrough the second duct.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said baffle is connected tothe wall between the first and second ducts by an accordion pleatedflexible diaphragm.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein a water saturated fiber mat ispositioned in the second duct to increase the humidity of the airpassing therethrough.

4. A system as claimed in claim I wherein a storage tank containingwater is positioned at the bottom of the second air duct and a pumpconveys water from the tank to an evaporation means for stabilizing thehumidity of the air passing therethrough.

5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the evaporation means is afibrous mat positioned in the second air duct.

6. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the evaporation means is aplurality of jets for producing a finely divided mist.

7. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said jets are directed towarda plurality of cold pipes for maintaining the temperature of the jetwater within a desired range.

8. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the water from the pump isdirected through a heat exchanger to reduce the water temperature to apredetermined value before being sprayed into the second air duct.

9. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the heat exchanger is cooledby the cold refrigerant fluid after it leaves the cold pipes. W n

It) A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein a plurality of louver slatsare positioned above said jets in the second air duct to prevent waterdrops from being ejected from the second air duct.

1. An air conditioned storage system comprising: two storagecompartments each with a separate closure means, said compartmentsseparated by an air permeable but article retaining wall; saidcompartments connected to a container for housing the compartments of arefrigeration system and including a first air duct in the container forhousing hot portions of the refrigeration means, a first fan for forcingair through the first duct to cool the hot portions, a second air ductin the container for housing cold portions of the refrigeration meanstogether with parts of the hot portions, a second fan for forcing airthrough the second duct to lower the air temperature; said hot portionsof the refrigeration means including a motorcompressor for compressing arefrigerant fluid, and a series of hot pipes for receiving thecompressed fluid; the cold portions of the refrigeration means includinga series of cold pipes and an expansion valve connected between the hotpipes and the cold pipes; a first thermostat in the second duct forcontrolling the action of the motor-compressor; a movable baffle forminga part of a wall between the first and second air ducts and having holestherein for enclosing lengths of said hot pipes; and a second thermostaTin an exit portion of the second duct for varying the position of thebaffle to expose variable lengths of the hot pipes to the air passingthrough the second duct.
 2. A system as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidbaffle is connected to the wall between the first and second ducts by anaccordion pleated flexible diaphragm.
 3. A system as claimed in claim 1wherein a water saturated fiber mat is positioned in the second duct toincrease the humidity of the air passing therethrough.
 4. A system asclaimed in claim 1 wherein a storage tank containing water is positionedat the bottom of the second air duct and a pump conveys water from thetank to an evaporation means for stabilizing the humidity of the airpassing therethrough.
 5. A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein theevaporation means is a fibrous mat positioned in the second air duct. 6.A system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the evaporation means is aplurality of jets for producing a finely divided mist.
 7. A system asclaimed in claim 6 wherein said jets are directed toward a plurality ofcold pipes for maintaining the temperature of the jet water within adesired range.
 8. A system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the water fromthe pump is directed through a heat exchanger to reduce the watertemperature to a predetermined value before being sprayed into thesecond air duct.
 9. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the heatexchanger is cooled by the cold refrigerant fluid after it leaves thecold pipes.
 10. A system as claimed in claim 8 wherein a plurality oflouver slats are positioned above said jets in the second air duct toprevent water drops from being ejected from the second air duct.